SOUTH Western Railway Class 455 No. 455868 has become the latest third-rail electric multiple unit to be given an adaptation of its original blue and grey livery.
With the long-delayed introduction of Class 701 ‘Arterio’ units having finally begun in January, withdrawal of the 82 Class 455s is drawing closer and the repaint marks their 42 years of hard work on suburban services radiating from London Waterloo and award-winning reliability under the care of staff at Wimbledon depot.
It follows similar ‘makeovers’ for fellow British Rail-era units nearing the end of their lives in service, including Merseyrail Class 507 No. 507001 (which emerged in blue and grey late last year) and now-preserved Class 313 No. 313201, the first second-generation EMU to enter service, returned to close to original livery in 2017.